Measurement & Analytics
Online activities without a fundamental measurement and evaluation are unthinkable nowadays – neither for websites nor for comprehensive online campaigns. The range of tools starts with basic web traffic tools for measuring visits and visitors browsing on a website. At the other end of the spectrum are specialized analytics tools that provide details concerning conversion and click through rates, visualize click paths of visitors as well as heat maps.
1. Define criteria
Before measuring anything one must define what exactly should be measured. The criteria determining the success of any activity need to be defined in conjunction with the activity itself. More often than not, the measurement concept exerts influence on the design of the actual activity. At least the most fundamental questions concerning the measurement have to be addressed and answered. Unfortunately, this important step in concept creation is often neglected.
2. Define the data collection
Defining what needs to be measured is a prerequisite to deciding how to gather the data most appropriately. Solutions are technical in nature, since the necessary tool selection needs to be made and the implementation of the tool needs to be discussed. Other topics are data handling, display, aggregation and access.
3. Implementation of a tracking system
The tracking system should be implemented in conjunction with the online assets that need to be tracked. The use of established tracking tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Omniture SiteCatalyst, et al.) is best practice and – on occasion – should be supplemented with custom tracking solutions.
We would like to submit a few words of caution.:
It is good practice to use more than one tracking system at a time. Far too often, marketers rely on a single tracking application only, which leads to dependency and weakens the marketers overall position.
Especially the exclusive use of Google Analytics must be viewed with caution. Google not only delivers the tracking results (tracking click-through and conversion) but also the ads (paid for ad placement in the search results page and as well as on other websites) that push the traffic to your site. To maintain a healthy system of checks and balances, more than one solution should be applied at a time.
When running more than one tracking system, the systems should not use the same approach and technology. No matter what systems are implemented, those will rarely deliver identical numbers. Digital media enables the measurement of every online activity, though the detailed numbers should not be misinterpreted as exact. Only few operations and activities can be measured with reliability and exactitude.
The Performance Marketing Suite
Various tracking system have already evolved into a performance-marketing suite. Omniture’s SiteCatalyst and Webtrekk Premium are already under way to provide a comprehensive look at performance data, of course, with the appropriate price tag. In the long run, sales and marketing require a comprehensive and fully integrated look at their performance data to properly steer activities and measures across various channels.
Comparability & consistency
The increasing use of measurement technology also draws attention to the areas of comparability and consistency of the data gathered. Controlled testing environments (A/B, multivariate) are regularly used for specific online activities and are also applied to larger scenarios.
Consistent performance tracking not only relies on the proper use of tested analytics tools but also the use of a sensible landing page approach. Sensible landing page systems must combine the need for creative freedom on the marketing side and the implementation of consistent tracking solutions on the backend.
